


You know what they say about kings

by Pyrotic_Goat



Series: Achievement Hunter Minecraft AU [2]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Minecraft, Mad King Ryan Haywood, Other, Ryan has trust issues, Ryan may or may not have caused a war, but turns into as big as a softy as the rest, minecraft au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:27:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22141780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pyrotic_Goat/pseuds/Pyrotic_Goat
Summary: James Haywood is a king.Ryan Haywood was a king.
Series: Achievement Hunter Minecraft AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1593682
Comments: 5
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are going to be a lot more than two chapters lol

Ryan had been riding for days. Literally.   
When one has two kingdoms worth of people after them, one doesn't have time for breaks.  
He was exhausted. His horse was growing more and more fickle and Ryan knew if he didn't find somewhere to rest for a while, his horse would leave him behind.

The horse tramped through the rain. They'd ridden into the mountains and the ground had finally flattened out, Ryan hoped to find a cave to rest for a while. Just for a moment.

His battle injuries had been exasperated by the long ride, and Ryan suspended infection in at least one of the wounds on his leg.

What stood in front of him was bewildering.  
It was some kind of temple, if Ryan was more awake and in less pain maybe he'd attempt to identify what the symbols dotting the pillars were. But all Ryan saw was a chance at dry shelter.

Ryan slides off his horse, boots sinking into the mud with a discussing sound. He ropes his horse to one of the covered pillars at the entrance before grabbing his sword and a camping back off it's back. Everything was soaked but he didn't care.

Ryan presses inside the ruins,scanning the walls and the corners. It was dark and chilly, but the walls stood and there was plenty of dry space for him to lie down.

He leant against the wall and let himself sink down, shiver and just… breath.

The injury on his leg (and all the cuts and bruises on the rest of him) have absolutely been exasperated by travel and the rainstorm.

He tore away his pants after building a small fire. His hands shook.

There was a low growling sound and Ryan froze up, gritting his teeth. He expected a wolf, a zombie, God forbid a bear.  
No. It had to be a fucking dragon.

He's tired, soaked, and injured. He doesn't stand a chance against this beast. But damn if he won't go down without a fight.  
With a shakey groan, he raises his sword to the beast again.

In the dim fires light, he can make out some of the monsters' features.  
It's a dark brown with orange patches on its face, and sharp orange eyes. The dragon stares him down  
A voice rings out and it nearly startles Ryan off his feet.  
"Why the fuck are you in my temple?" The… Dragon asks. Ryan blinks at the beast

Ryan hesitates, maybe he could reason with the beast, if it can speak?  
"Lost. Cold. Wet." Ryan nearly whispered, grip on his sword not lightening.  
A shadow stepped out from behind the dragon.  
"Are you injured?" The voice came from the shadow, as the dragon glowered at Ryan.  
"A bit." Ryan admitted. But when the shadow stepped closer, Ryan shifted and pointed the tip of his sword at the shadow, making it stop.  
"I'm Jack." The voice said in a lot more of a gentle tone. "Here, I can help you." He reached forwards, when did he get that close?  
"No- stay back!" It came out more as a yelp than a command. Ryan didn't even realize he was shivering, his teeth were chattering.

Ryan's body heaved and without warning, gave in to the cold and his injuries. Ryan stumbled back and collapsed down the wall, and Jack stepped forwards again, arms outstretched to catch him.  
"Sir, are you alright?" Jack asked, hovering just out of reach of the stranger.  
Ryan noted the man's face in the dark. He had ginger hair, and a beard. He had gentle eyes, possibly even caring. But with the beast in the background, Ryan wasn't sure.  
"I'm fine." Ryan snarled, but didn't have the strength to get back up, or even lift his sword again. He was gripping the handle and screaming at his arm to lift it, even to just use it as a shield. But his muscles refused to tense. Ryan's body ached in pain and cold and refused to do as it should.  
Jack tsked, turning and loudly saying,  
"Geoff, get the lad. Let him know we have a guest."

Jack knelt in front of Ryan took off his overcoat, placing it over Ryan.  
The man- Jack was bigger than him, not in height but in bulk. He looked strong. Ryan pressed harder into the wall even as the man tucked the huge, and slightly warm, jacket over him  
"I don't need your help." Ryan said quietly. The man gave him a bemused look before he bent down. Ryan wanted to fight, to run, to defend himself. SOMETHING. His body refused to move, exhaustion claiming him despite him internally screaming to move.

Jack suddenly had his hands around Ryan, and Before Ryan could bark 'what are you doing?' Jack had lifted him up bridal style.   
He made a startled sound in the back of his throat and gripped Jack's shirt.  
Jack let out a quiet and soft chuckle, and Ryan felt his face burn.  
Ryan was tense, but let the man carry him. Too tired, too weak to fight him. He was warm. His heartbeat was rhythmic. It was like an old lullaby his Rose used to sing to him...


	2. Chapter 2

Ryan shivered, then sat up in his bed far too fast. Leaving his head spinning and his stomach retching.  
He groaned and rubbed his face, and then he realizes, this is not his bed.  
Ryan takes in the room. It's simple, nearly empty. He slowly lays back and closes his eyes for a moment, letting himself simply rest before scanning the room again.  
Ryan looks to his side and winces as he sees a pair of… strange eyes staring back at him, and a black toothed grin.  
"What the fuck are you?" Ryan shouts, startled, in his booming, Angry King voice. Well, at least sort of his voice. He was tired and weak.  
"I'm Gavin!" Gavin's skin was normal, and was human…. mostly. But in some spots on his hands, face, and neck that were green and black scaly patches. It vividly reminded Ryan of a Creeper.   
He was waving. Smiling. Generally unfazed by Ryan's anger. Ryan slumped as he accepted that no one here would ever listen to him.  
"Stop yelling. I have a migraine." Ryan groans in defeat, rubbing the bridge of his nose.  
"You slept for so long!" The strange boy, Gavin, chriped.  
"... How long did I sleep?" Ryan asked, slowly.  
"Two!" Gavin chirped.  
"Two?" Ryan shouted in surprise.  
"Days!" Ryan's look must have been doubtful. "I thought you were dead!" He added cheerfully.  
"Thanks." Ryan groaned.  
"You're welcome!"

"Gavin, leave him alone!' a sudden voice cried from behind the creeper boy.  
"But Geoff he's finally awake!" The strange boy whined.  
"Oh." The man said, stopping just as he reached to grab the boy by the back of the neck. Ryan finally saw the man. He was scrawny, had a black beard and hair with a slightly pronounced moustache.  
What was truly eye catching was the intricate tattoos he had on the visible parts of his arms.  
"Well, come on Gav, let him rest. Go let Jack know so he can check on him." Ryan bit his lip and glared as Geoff ushered the strange boy away.

Geoff's eyes lingered on Ryan's face for a long moment. There was a pain in the tattooed man's eyes.  
He knew.  
He couldn't stay here. If even one of them knew….   
He'd have to kill them all.


	3. Chapter 3

Ryan had been living with the three for nearly a week as he recovered. Jack turned out to be a very kind and gentle man, who Ryan wouldn't mind letting clean and dress his wound. The ginger was good company and kept the dragons out of his room, at least.

Ryan introduced himself as a traveler who'd lost his way when the rain started. Blamed the slice on his leg from a fall.  
The man with the tattoos didn't say anything, but the way he looked at Ryan left him spooked.  
The other two, Jack and Gavin, had no idea who he was. Jack said he'd lived around the temple since he was a child, and Gavin seemed to be some kind of feral monster boy. Neither of them would reasonably know Ryan. At least not in the state Ryan was in now. He'd let his hair grow and his facial hair had become patchy and uneven.  
Looking nothing like the paintings that were often used to show off the Mad Kings appearance.

Ryan was sitting in the kitchen, watching as Jack hummed and danced around the kitchen cooking.  
Ryan had come to learn that Jack often enjoyed cooking and, as long as Ryan wasn't in his way, Ryan was free to exist in that space and taste good as Jack offered it.  
Ryan always had appreciated sweets, fresh baked food, and the general energy of kitchens. That and he'd spent enough time in bed but still walked with a painful limp that he couldn't go far from the bed before it hurt too much to move.

Ryan was playing with one of the larger knives he'd… found. In the kitchen. He was considering it.  
It was sharp and steel, easily biting into anything in its path.

Jack turned around quickly, sliding the pie in front Ryan's chest.  
"Perfect, you have the pie knife!" He said in a cheerful way that startled Ryan. "Cut this up while I go get Gavin and Geoff." And the ginger man ran off. Leaving Ryan to stare at the pie and the knife, and wonder, when did he go from King to Pie Cutter?


	4. Chapter 4

On nice days Ryan would go out into the barn and check on his horse.

It was one of those nice days where Ryan found himself absently wandering out into the barn to check on his horse.

"Oh, hello!" Gavin said with a small wave. Ryan rolled his eyes. Course he was out here.  
Now, Ryan didn't really have a problem with Gavin. But the lad could be very…. Annoying.

Gavin was sitting in the corner playing with a couple of chickens that were roosting in the barn. He was being calm and quiet and seemed a lot more interested in his chickens than pestering Ryan.

As Ryan looked around, he noticed the wooden swords in a pile in the corner of the room. They seemed to be hand carved. Not by Gavin, he didn't have the attention span for that kind of thing. Must of been done by Geoff, or Jack.  
He glanced at the boy before walking over, gently picking up one of the swords up. He ran his thumb over the flat part, and was astounded by how smooth it was. There wasn't any impurities in the carved wood.  
He turned the wooden sword over in his hand. With the strange boy- Gavin- back turned. He could run him through, jump on his horse, and run.

Gavin suddenly looked over his shoulder at Ryan, and the Lads face brightened up.  
"Oh! Do you want to play swords?" Gavin jumped to his feet, startling the chickens, and bolted past Ryan and pulled out another wooden sword.

"Well, playing swords wouldn't be fair. You simply have no idea what you're doing." Ryan said flatly.  
Gavin pouted.   
"I do too!" And Gavin started flailing his arms around as he waved the sword in the air, just asking to break something or hurt himself.  
Ryan caught the lads wrist that held the sword as it got too close to his body, eating a slew of giggles.  
"Stop it before you hurt yourself, or me." Ryan growled, making the giggling stop and a actually sad look cross the boy's face. Ryan's stomach twisted strangely.  
"Fine. Here- I'll show you." Ryan gives an exasperated sigh, and the monster lads eyes light up again.  
"Really? You'll teach me good sword fighting??"  
"Yes. But you'd better shut the fuck up and listen."  
Gavin gave a mock salute, and went quite, allowing Ryan to teach him some of the simpler techniques to using a sword.

Ryan decided that a fair fight is only, well, fair.  
His horse wasn't up for a run yet anyway.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack makes Geoff take Ryan fishing.  
It wasn't exactly a… pleasing arrangement. But Ryan was doing better with his leg, he had less of a limp now and it didn't hurt to walk anymore. But he was always in the house and was beginning to get under Jack's skin. Ryan might admit that he did feel a little guilty annoying his care taker in such a way that led to him feeling as if Ryan needed to be punished.  
But this was just unfair.  
Ryan and Geoff didn't necessarily argue or have something they'd actually been fighting over, but there was definitely a tension between them.  
Ryan had done his best to be polite and friendly to the other two, so Jack noticing how Ryan kept a wide berth from Geoff was inevitable.  
But making Geoff take Ryan fishing was unquestionably some kind of war crime.

The walk, where Ryan silently followed Geoff into the woods, was nearly unbearable in silence and discomfort.  
Ryan floundered with conversation for a while, trying to ease at least a sliver of the awkwardness. But Geoff wasn't giving even the slightest amount of effort.

Geoff was fiddling with the hook on the end of his line.  
Finally Geoff spoke, and nearly gave Ryan a stroke when he did.  
"When was the last time you'd been fishing, Ryan?"  
"Don't know… I've been busy." Ryan chuckled nervously. He hated feeling like this. Forced small talk- he was a good king, people feared him and everything was political and he never had to worry about talking about the little things with anyone. He always hated it.  
Alright, maybe calling him a "Good King" wasn't true. But he got shit done, atleast.  
Geoff probably wouldn't have called him a good king.

Geoff finished loading his line before setting it down on the bridge, carefully in a spot that prevented it from rolling into the water.

Geoff was leaning over the bridge, looking into the water, pointing.  
"This is the best place to cast, they hide under and in the stones during the day."

Ryan stepped forwards, so easy to just… push him off. Ryan didn't, for whatever reason. He just leaned over for a brief moment, setting the tackle box against the wall.

Ryan felt like he dozed off, because suddenly Geoff was getting loud and excited.

Geoff grinned at him, looking proud of the huge fish he'd caught.  
And suddenly, Ryan's face burned.  
Shame?   
He looked away, chuckling slightly.  
"Nice catch, Geoff."

It hit him. Why couldn't he just kill these idiots? He hadn't had any problem killing people around him before. He never batted an eye.  
The kind maid?   
The jester?  
His own guards?  
Never once did he hesitate or feel bad. 

What made him hesitate now?  
He killed the monsters easily sweeping his sword through them. He hadn't lost his fighting skills. Why didn't he just fucking kill them?


End file.
